Michael O'Neill wants his veteran players to learn from Aaron Hughes' experience of international retirement.
The Hearts centre-back called time on his Northern Ireland career seven years ago after 79 international appearances.
Fast forward a reversal of that decision and Hughes has topped the tonne of games for NI.
The older members of O'Neill's current squad, such as Gareth McAuley (38), Chris Brunt (33) and captain Steven Davis (33), maintain a significant influence over the team.
It's little surprise then, that the manager sought their thoughts on their futures before committing his own to the IFA with a bumper six-year deal.